Those of you who have bothered to read this Popcorn Stand over the years might remember I have on occasion taken a break from the Popcorn Stand to write “Smashmouth” which is really a Popcorn Stand in which I write about the National Football League.
Every Labor Day weekend it’s the same for many Americans, although not for me since while I admit pro football is the “Greatest Sports Show on Earth,” baseball is still the “Greatest Game There Is.”
And the San Francisco Giants’ struggles after the all-star break have kept me busy enough. But I still love them. Here’s me during a typical Giants win, which has been rare after the all-star break (and I’m definitely cleaning up the language):
“I HATE you guys. You guys can’t do anything right. I’ve had it with you guys. I’m never watching you again.” TV turned off. For like a few seconds.
Then somehow the Giants win. “I LOVE you guys. You guys are the greatest. I never doubted you.” Typical fan.
But this was supposed to be about football. Pro football. I notice NFL fans look like their wandering around the wilderness like the Walking Dead without Pro Football during Labor Day weekend. Baseball doesn’t cut it for them. Not even college football cuts it for them.
Only the NFL will do. It used to be the NFL would start its season on Labor Day weekend. But in the infinite wisdom of the powers to be in their belief people would still be out doing other stuff on Labor Day weekend, the NFL postponed the opening of its season another week.
And then every team gets a bye, adding another week to the season, so the Super Bowl isn’t played until February. In the infinite wisdom of the NFL, it believes more money is made when stadia are sitting empty. I hate byes if nothing else because the NFL made me use the word Stadia.
And then there are those stupid Thursday night games. As far as I can tell nobody really likes them, not the fans — certainly not the players — but since we keep watching them the NFL keeps scheduling them because those games keep making the league more money. MONEY.
Maybe my love-hate of the Giants isn’t so bad.
